


It has to end with me, I have to make a promise (I swear to all my future)

by Emptytopdrawer



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Trauma, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First work - Freeform, Gets worse before it gets better, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Male Victim of Rape, Patricide, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shitty Writing, Suck at titles, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships, haven't read the books in about 3 years, movies? what movies?, please be kind, please read the tags, suck at summarys, thanks bye no hate, total disregard of canon, what's editing?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24510952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emptytopdrawer/pseuds/Emptytopdrawer
Summary: He is hiding, they can't find him here. But he has to help his siblings. But then they'll hurt him again.Godly trauma doesn't just disappear. It lingers and there is no such thing as therapy.
Relationships: Hera/Zeus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Hestia & Zeus (Percy Jackson), Jason Grace and Zeus, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Percy Jackson & Zeus
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. A Mysterious Letter

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [a fact easily forgotten (we named our crowns ourselves)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21090359) by [californianNostalgia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/californianNostalgia/pseuds/californianNostalgia). 



> Title is from Maria Mena's All the Love
> 
> Editing? What's that?  
> I am aware that canon is a thing. I just choose to disregard it for my own selfish purposes. On that note, I know Zeus is generally a flaming trashpile of shittiness, but he is a flaming trashpile of shittiness with issues. That is not an excuse or a reason, just a fact.

When I woke up that morning, there was a fire colored envelope on my nightstand. It was glowing faintly and seemed to exude an aura of doom. I knew better than to avoid opening it and got down to business.

What was inside though, that was surprising. A letter from Hestia? The lady of the hearth almost never appeared to mortals and certainly never sent them letters. Even more surprising was that it was about Zeus.

She wanted me to get Piper and Jason and take them to Olympus to talk with him. She ended with the fact that Zeus had no idea she was sending this letter. That seemed a little suspicious to me. As far as I knew, letters like this weren’t delivered by Hermes and simply traveled by air to the recipient. Zeus was the god of air. That he wouldn’t know about any air mail letters and their contents was strange. That Hestia seemed to be intentionally keeping it from him was even stranger. But you simply didn’t ignore orders from gods. So, I Iris-messaged Piper and Jason.

Three days later, we were standing in the elevator on the way up to Olympus listening to Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.

“So,” Piper asked, “any idea what this is about?”

“Nope,” I said. “All the letter said was that Hestia wanted us three specifically to talk to Zeus. She did apparently send that letter without him knowing about it, so I have no idea what we might be walking into.”

“Great,” Jason snarked, “I’ve always loved potential traps. Favorite thing ever.”

I could relate. I had walked into too many suspicious situations in the past with no fear and had usually come to regret that. Finally, the elevator ground to a halt and the doors dinged open, revealing the usual magnificent view that still made my brain ask if my eyes were sure that was really there. I shook my head to focus and saw Hestia waiting for us, looking about twenty-one.

As we all bowed politely, I asked, “May we know the reasons behind your summons Lady Hestia?” I was particularly proud of that. I sounded smart for once. Even Annabeth couldn’t call me Seaweed Brain for that statement.

Hestia frowned slightly and looking pensive replied, “Let us talk in my private chambers before I escort you to Lord Zeus. There is, perhaps, some things you may need to hear first.”

Well, there was an ominous statement if I’d ever heard one.

* * *

Hestia quickly transported us to a warm and cozy room decorated in shades of soft mauve and burgundy. Gesturing to us to take a seat, she started pacing in front of the fireplace. It was strange to see a god so obviously agitated. From my limited interactions with her particularly, I had gotten the impression that she was usually a calm and peaceful person, conflict avoidant, that sort of thing. She started talking with a gusty sigh,

“I know you have even less reason to be mildly concerned about Zeus than most, particularly you Jason Grace, but I am worried for him. Ever since I informed him that I had encountered the nymphs you three released in Rome, he has been distracted and brooding.

He believed that they had left him of their own volition, and to learn that they were trapped and he had done nothing to ease their pain has been eating away at him along with other older wounds that I am convinced no one has ever even noticed.

After he freed us from our father’s stomach, there was no time to establish a family, a hearth, and after, we were far too busy and damaged. Additionally, he was our king. He could not have any weaknesses, he had to be strong for us. Even after we won, I did not take the time I should have to ensure that all was right. And then, after Pandora, I did not speak to him till yesterday for the cause of Apollo.

He has not truly had a hearth to rest at for nigh on six thousand years. He has fooled us all for so long that I think he has started to believe the lies himself and it will destroy him in the end. That will mean the end of us and mortals both. If not for his sake, then for yours, I request that you speak with him about the nymphs and other things he may bring up. If he confesses to more, please, attempt to tolerate it. I will be present to mediate if you agree.”

Now that was a shocker of a speech. I had the feeling Hestia had not said so many words all together in a very long time. Looking at Piper and Jason, I turned to her and said,

“May we have a moment to consider Lady?”

She replied, looking grateful that we were even considering her request, “Yes, of course,” and vanished.


	2. A Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See end notes for trigger warnings

I had a feeling we were all a little conflicted. On one hand, Zeus was a giant dick, and on the other, he was the pillar which held up the continued existence of our world. (No slight to Atlas.)

Jason looked torn, saying, “I may not like him very much, but he is a god and we do have information about something sensitive to him.”

Piper agreed, “I believe that Lady Hestia will protect us if something does go wrong.”

So, it was just me then. I thought seriously for a minute, Zeus was a massive asshole, but from what Hestia was saying, he was a massive asshole with possibly some reasons for that, that were eating him alive.

“Fine, as long as we get a free exit card if we start being in ya know, imminent danger of spontaneous combustion.”

Piper called tentatively, “Lady Hestia, we’ve come to an agreement.”

She popped back into view with an unreadable expression on her face.

“We’ve agreed,” I said. “With free exit card in the face of spontaneous combustion.”

Looking scarily relieved, like, I didn’t even know gods could make that expression, she said “Thank you. I greatly appreciate your cooperation and will of course ensure you are protected.”

So, with an awful feeling of anticipation in my stomach, she transported us to what had to be Zeus’s private chambers.

* * *

They were surprisingly bare, with a feel reminiscent of a barracks. There was nobody in what seemed to be the living room, so Hestia approached a closed door on the other side of the room, looking nervous as she did so.

“He has been jumpy lately,” she cautioned us. “This may not be pleasant.”

She knocked, and when there was no answer after several minutes, she opened the door and cautiously ventured into what had to be a bedroom, leaving it open behind her.

It looked as spartan as the living room did, an absolute minimum of personal things, set up for maximum efficiency. There was a lump on the bed, hidden beneath blankets, that had to be Zeus.

That was odd. I’d never thought of gods sleeping before, though I suppose they had to do something at night. But it was almost four in the afternoon, so assuming he went to bed yesterday evening, that equaled a lot of sleep for a human, much less a god.

Pacing quietly up to the bed, Hestia sat gently beside it and reached out to shake it while saying, “Brother, I have brought some demigods to speak with you.”

The instant her hand made contact with the lump of blankets however, a tornado of violence exploded. Her hand was ripped right off at the wrist and the blankets went flying with an explosion of ichor from the stump.

Zeus erupted from the bed with an unholy shriek and instead of continuing to attack, fled into the corner of the room, screeching as he went.

We all collectively flinched. Hestia sighed, and regenerated her hand.

“I believe I woke him from a nightmare.”

That was a new one on me. Gods could get nightmares?

Hestia tried to approach Zeus as he huddled in the corner; wasn’t that strange, the king of the gods, huddled into a corner after a nightmare. He shrieked as she got close, and she immediately backed off, frowning in concern.

“I believe it is my godly aura triggering him. If one of you could attempt to calm him?”

Both of us immediately looked at Jason, who was looking disturbed himself. It was his father after all. He sighed and began to approach his father. When that failed to set off more screaming, we all collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

Hestia gently guided us out of the room, with a gentle “Let us leave Jason to it. It will be easier if there is only one person.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Hestia gets her hand ripped off by Zeus but its barely mentioned and she regrows it right after.


	3. Panic

Jason really didn’t want to do this. This was not his idea of a good time. Talking to his father on regular days, not that he did that much, was hazardous. Talking to him now, when he was clearly caught in some sort of flashback, worse. This could not end well.

Taking a deep breath, he gently crouched down beside him, mentally marveling at the Lichtenburg scars that traced his entire torso, branching and overlapping, until there was almost no clear skin.

No wonder he usually wears nothing but long sleeve button downs, he thought.

“Hey, it’s Jason,” he tried.

Nothing.

While he tried to think of something to say next, Zeus began to mutter something quietly. He leaned in, trying to hear what he was saying.

“The war never ended. He haunts me eternally; it goes on and on forever.” “What keeps going?” “Time, time, time. It will never leave me be! He holds it in his hands and spools my memories back and back again! Krios, Hyperion, all of them. Every gods-damned night I remember the ‘favors’ they asked for! I never liked it! The alcohol was never enough! Damn you, leave me be!” he shrieked, louder and louder.

Jason shuddered at the implications of that statement. He wasn’t sure, but it sounded like the male Titans had…he refused to think of it. What he was saying about the war that had never ended, was that the first war, where the gods defeated Kronos?

Zeus was talking again, so Jason quickly tried to pick up the thread once more.

“I hear his voice wherever I turn. It haunts me. It’s so real. The words he favored, how he used to laugh at me, all of it. It never stops. All day, all night. Enough! When will it be enough?”

Jason shuddered. That did not sound great. In fact, it sounded like flashbacks. He hadn’t thought gods could get those.

It did sort of make sense though. Most of their history was nothing but one violent story after another. All you ever heard were stories about what the gods did to this mortal or that mortal. Most of them would make a R-rated movie.

Looking down he realized with a start, Zeus was clawing at his face and crying what looked like golden tears.

First shock, he was crying.

Second, was that blood?

Yes, that was ichor. Not great. Not great at all.

Getting up, he made his way to the door. Poking his head through, he inquired, “Lady Hestia? Could you put him to sleep? I can’t seem to get through to him and he’s started to talk about things I’m not sure he would want me to hear.”

“I’d hoped it would not come to this. Yes, I suppose I can try. I may be the elder, but he holds more experience and power. It may not take,” she warned.

Holding her hand up to her mouth and gesturing Jason back out to stand beside Percy and Piper, she blew into it. A glittering dust flew out of her cupped palm and through the wall and seconds later, Zeus’ pained muttering came to a halt.

They all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Hestia smiled, “It worked. That should last a few hours. We have many things to discuss. I wish to gather the rest of the gods. They ought to hear about this as well, for it partially concerns them. Is that agreeable?”

At this point, Jason thought, there was really no way to say no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Zeus claws at his face and there is a slight mention of blood.  
>  There are also allusions to male rape. No explicit mention, but it can be easily inferred.


End file.
